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Islamists and the conflict in southern Sudan: 1989-97

Abstract

As the conflict in southern Sudan enters into its fifteenth year there are bound to be many studies that set out to examine the challenges, successes and failures of post- independence Sudan. The purpose of this study is to analyse the developments made by the Islamist led government and the impact its policies have had on the southern Sudan from 1989-1997. This work seeks to analyse how the contemporary reality of being in power has affected the Islamists' ideological approach in dealing with the south. The work begins with a chapter on the background of the conflict in the southern Sudan. Its focus is on the key developments that have occurred in the twentieth century, concentrating mostly on post-independence Sudan, and discussing the impact that successive governments have had on the conflict. The study continues with an analysis of the key events and personalities in the history of the Islamic movement in Sudan. Its purpose is to provide a background into their motives and actions and to examine the role of Islam and politics in Sudan. The remainder of the study concentrates on the period in question (1989-97) and the imprint that the Islamists have made on it. The period itself is divided into several timeframes to illustrate the impact of their policies more clearly. Each chapter will include an investigation into the nature of the regime, ideological and political developments concerning the conflict, and finally a look at the "situation on the ground" in the south and the ramifications that government policies have had.